Nanostructured (3-6 nm) thin films (80 nm) of SnO2 and Pt-doped SnO2 were obtained by a new sol-gel route using tetra(tert-butoxy)tin(IV) and bis(acetylacetonato)platinum(II) as precursors. EPR and XPS investigations, performed on thin films after interaction with CO, demonstrated that singly ionized oxygen vacancies (V-o(.)) fully transferred their electrons to the noble metal and reduced Pt(IV) to Pt(ll). Contact with air at room temperature led to the reduction of O-2 to O-2(-), therefore, re-oxidizing metal centers. The reaction mechanism concords with the high electrical sensitivity of this material. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.